As I have mentioned before, my Cheap Trick phase is dormant during the winter months, but once spring comes around, it is back in full force. When the snow started melting a few weeks ago, I started listening to Heaven Tonight, and it was a treat, but it wasn't quite right. It was just an amateur bout before the main event. The main event officially starts today, April 1st.
April 1st is the first day of Cheap Trick season, because I bought my very first copy of Cheap Trick At Budokan on April 1st. In fact, it was April 1, 1993. Today is the ten-year anniversary of my very first Cheap Trick purchase. Once I had my first copy of Budokan, there was no stopping the madness. I had also just befriended someone who can only be called crazy, and he was an authority on Cheap Trick, and he helped with the nurturing of my brand new phase.
Within weeks of my first Budokan purchase, I owned the video collection, Every Trick In The Book, and a vinyl copy of Budokan. (Yes, my first Cheap Trick purchase was on cassette. But I fixed that right quick.) And then I started collecting the earlier albums, for two logical reasons. First of all, since they are the records that provided the set list for Budokan, they were not one hundred percent unfamiliar material. Second, I bought the albums based on how good Robin Zander looked on the cover, and I like his mid-to-late seventies slightly shaggy hairdo much more than his feathered eighties hair.
Also, there is that thing where Tom Petersson left the group for a time, and there was a different guy. But then Tom Petersson came back. I like bands with all original members. Since Tom Petersson eventually did come back, I shunned the Jon Brant albums, even if they are good pop albums. I mean, a different bass player plus Robin Zander sporting feathered hair? No, thank you. I didn't get those until my crazy Cheap Trick friend peer pressured me into it. I do believe that thanks to him, I have an entire Cheap Trick vinyl catalog.
In fact, it is his fault that for a long time, I owned two vinyls of Budokan. He is the one who informed me that the vinyl came with a souvenir booklet, chock full of pictures of the Japanese tour. I had to have it! And lucky for me, within a couple of weeks, I stumbled across a copy that still had the booklet, and it was all mine.
Even though I own them, I never fully embraced the pop albums of the eighties, because I don't happen to think that they rock enough. Too much keyboard. The song Saturday At Midnight has scarred me for life with its sucky eighties sound. In fact, if I think about that song too much, it might kill this year's Cheap Trick season, so I will just think about How Are You instead. Ahhhh. All better.
But April 1st doesn't just kick off the Cheap Trick listening season, it also kicks off Cheap Trick appreciation season. Cheap Trick has influenced me in many ways. I cut my own hair for two reasons. One, I don't like going to a hairdresser, because that means being somewhere on time, having to make small talk, and looking hideous under those fluorescent lights. Oh, and getting a lecture on the fact that I dye my own hair. Live with it, hair snob! Second of all, not so many hairdressers understand the instruction, "I'm going for the Robin Zander at Budokan look." It just means, "Cut me some bangs that aren't too short and let me go home." It's just easier to stay home and do it myself.
And another thing, have you ever heard me holler, "All Right Tok-yo!" for seemingly no reason? Even though that is the line that kicks off Cheap Trick At Budokan, I have found that it is good for every situation. When I was the vinyl dictator, before I would start a large record buy, I would throw my hands up, yell, "All Right Tok-yo!" and dive into the stacks of albums. "All Right Tok-yo!" also works when you are about to drive to a casino to see Journey, or feed the cats. Any time you need to generate some enthusiasm all you have to do is holler, "All Right Tok-yo!" It works every time. Even on cats.
Anyway. Cheap Trick appreciation. I got an early start a couple of weeks ago, when I was listening to Heaven Tonight. LCG was in the car and he asked me if any of the good songs were on the album. I took a deep breath, and he recognized the sound of the hostile inhale. "By good I mean, are any of the three songs I know on there?" Why, yes! So we listened to Surrender. And then I said,
"'This next one is the first song on our new album. It just came out this week, and the song is called Surrender.' That's all the crowd banter you ever need to know."
And then I waited.
And he didn't let me down.
LCG: "Hey..."
Me: "The Beastie Boys lifted it many years later."
LCG: "I was gonna say! That's Cheap Trick banter?"
Me: "Yep! See how important they are?"
Not like he ever questions the importance of Cheap Trick, I just like to point it out.
And, just in time for my phase, they are coming to town. But I wasn't going to go. It's in a place with seats. Seats! I have only ever seen them at clubs or outdoor festivals. Places where you have to stand. I didn't know if I could enjoy Cheap Trick in a place with seats, so I wasn't going to go. Then I got tickets. Then I got a problem. I had two tickets. LCG is busy. If he wasn't, that would solve my problem. You might be saying, "What problem? I've read the Cheap Trick article. Ask Joejung!"
Yes, that is a pretty good plan, but the problem is the fact that Guided By Voices is opening. Jeff J. loves GBV. Aaack! I briefly considered not asking anyone and just going by myself because it would be easier, but LCG yelled at me. Then he tried to help.
LCG: "Have you ever paid to see Cheap Trick with Joejung?"
Me: "Yeah, lots of times."
LCG: "Well, have you ever seen Cheap Trick with Joejung indoors?"
Me: "Yep."
LCG: "I don't know then."
Yeah, me neither. Anyway, it's a funny thing about Cheap Trick. Most of my record purchases are not memorable. Some are, but I couldn't tell you the exact date of a purchase. I can't even tell you the day I bought my first Queen record! (I could if you gave me a couple of days to dig through some paperwork, but off the top of my head? I don't know.) But there is just something about my Budokan purchase that has always stuck with me, and made April 1st one of my favorite days for rock and roll.
And last year on April 1st? It was another great day for me and rock music. Last April 1st was the first time I saw my One True Love, Andrew W.K., and got all giddy about rock again. Okay, you got me. I was already giddy about rock, and Andrew W.K. isn't my One True Love. He is from the Kingdom One True Love, Phylum Non-Roger Taylor, in the Class of People I Don't Know, Order Musician, Family Rock Star, Genus Singer, Species Long Haired Sweaty Guys.
But I didn't think it was a coincidence that I flipped my lid for Andrew W.K. on April 1st. April 1st is just a great day, and you should look into embracing it. I recommend either buying a copy of Cheap Trick at Budokan, or going to a concert that you hadn't planned on attending. Find yourself some new music, and make April 1st your very own great day for rock and roll.